Who Gets To Be A Leader?

An intriguing question, that one. Who gets to be a leader? The obvious answer is, of course: people who are qualified. But is it really that simple?

It’s a question we’ve been grappling with a lot lately, and we’re increasingly aware that the answers aren’t obvious or simple at all. In fact, they often lead to more challenging questions: How do we decide what the qualifications are? What are they based on? Are they the same for everyone — and for every role?

We’re in the process of launching a new leadership training model here at Myplanet, so our current interest is more than just philosophical. Uncovering what we look for in a leader — what we even mean when we say the word leader — will have lasting effects on our organization and our people.

To begin with, we started building a framework for leadership based on our values as a company (Collaboration, Focus, Humanity, Innovation, and Mastery). But as we got deeper into our process, we heard ourselves asking, “What makes a good leader?” And more often than not, we were at odds with the answers we found in the models available — especially when we tried to apply our values to them.

As we near the launch of our new training model, we wanted to share some insights into how we ended up using the one we chose, and what some of the key steps to building a more inclusive, diverse and successful leadership team look like.

Step 1: Question Conventional Wisdom

During our discussions about transformational leadership, one of our Associate Directors, Everett Zufelt, shared this article from the Harvard Business Review. Written by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, the article argues that we’re biasing ourselves to favour “incompetent men” when looking to fill leadership positions, going on to say that “the main reason for the uneven management sex ratio is our inability to discern between confidence and competence.”

He argues that when we seek managerial candidates, we tend look for the same qualities we’ve seen before: confidence, risk-taking, a certain amount of brash decisiveness. In essence, we look for qualities that tend to be displayed — for whatever reason — mostly by men.

But he also notes that studies have shown that good managers — the ones whose staff support and respect them and who are able to steer the ship through good times and bad — are those who exhibit qualities we typically associate with women.

“That was part of why we dropped some of the leadership models that we considered for the upcoming coaching initiative,” says Jason Cottrell, CEO of Myplanet. “Leaders need to inspire their team and instill confidence to drive change, but how they do it can vary.”

Managers who are empathetic, better listeners, more inclusively minded, and above all more humble tend to be the best leaders. Says Chamorro-Premuzic, “Indeed, whether in sports, politics or business, the best leaders are usually humble — and whether through nature or nurture, humility is a much more common feature in women than men.”

Of course, it goes without saying that these traits aren’t exclusive to one group or the other; some men are humble, some women are overconfident. The issue, ultimately, isn’t one of gender — it’s one of reinforcing a pattern that excludes certain personality types while promoting others, without examining our reasons why or recognizing the lasting negative effects that could have.

Step 2: Build Beyond Traditional Expectations

The idea that there is one, homogeneous kind of leader is one we’re actively trying to combat at Myplanet. Think about it: how can it be possible that despite a range of needs and abilities across teams, a one-size-fits-all model of leadership could be the solution? It makes no sense. Which is why we have decided to actively refigure our idea of what a leader is and could be.

In a piece for Fast Company, Dr Suzanne Wertheim discusses the issue of what she calls “unconscious demotion”, a phenomenon she describes as “the unthinking habit of assuming that somebody holds a position lower in status or expertise than they actually do.” She notes that humans are programmed to want to fit things into specific patterns and types. To break down our understanding of what a “manager” is requires a conscious effort.

Our very human tendency towards patterning — the one that leads to unconscious demotion — helps explain why, in spite of evidence to the contrary, we as a society may continue to promote what Chamarro-Premuzic describes as incompetence. Just as we mentally demote those who don’t fit the pattern we expect, we mentally promote those who do. And this can have detrimental effects down the line.

Those who don’t fit the mould but try to join in anyway are often treated differently and misunderstood. They then get frustrated or defeated and begin to self-select out, which reinforces the narrow view of what someone in a specific position needs to be — and makes it harder for others to be seen if they go against type.

Unfortunately, but perhaps unsurprisingly, Wertheim notes, “In my research on language and bias, I’ve found that it’s usually women and people of color who are most often on the receiving end of these incidents.”

So how can we combat it? How do we ensure we’re doing everything we can to open doors to women (or minorities or introverts — really anyone who may have been overlooked because they don’t display the typical loud and brash characteristics of a leader)? If we’re serious about inclusivity and diversity at all levels, ensuring people at the management level are on an equal footing is a major part of that.

First and foremost, says Jason, is to build a workplace culture that actively promotes a broader understanding of what senior roles can be. “The key is to build a workplace that has more education and awareness of the many styles of good leadership, and a constant focus in cultivating authentic leadership within its teams.”

Step 3: Choose Leadership For Your Growth Phase

In part, the need to reconsider the traditional definition of leadership is a reflection of our company’s growth. As most startups can tell you, the risk-taking, high-confidence person is essential when you’re trying to get off the ground. To try something new and make it work, you have to be willing to take chances and to believe in your vision. But once your work takes hold? Things have to shift.

“There’s a scale phase between startup and established — where we’re at right now — and it’s when you need to make a deliberate effort to call these things out, establish what your values are and promote them within your organization,” says Jason. “Evolve too slowly and your growth will not be sustainable, evolve too quickly to the culture of a large, established organization and you will also fail.”

In order to ensure scalable growth, the focus of your vision and goals has to shift and with it, the leadership model must shift, too. Part of shifting that leadership model, at least for us, has been shifting our expectations.

At this stage in our company’s growth, it isn’t necessary — or even desirable — to act like a startup. We’re not chasing a big impact or immediate pay-off anymore as we look to get a foot through the door. No, now we’re assessing for long-term growth, adjusting our course to ensure a steady rate of growth that enables us to deliver on the promises we’ve made while continuing to innovate and improve our niche.

The decisions we make now have far-reaching effects that go beyond our original small group of invested risk-taskers: they impact all our staff, stakeholders, and clients. Shifting our leadership mindset is essential for continued success.

Step 4: Avoid Bias Blind Spots

Part of cultivating that authentic leadership is establishing the roots of some of these issues. “Identify where it’s happening,” says Jason. “Don’t assume it’s not a problem you or your team have. It’s so prevalent and so easy to fall into, we always have to treat [these issues] as though they’re very real.”

If we start by assuming we aren’t perfect and that we can do better, then we’ll actively look for ways to improve. We’ll keep our eyes open to things we might otherwise have simply accepted as normal or right, and we’ll start to build a new mentality, one that encourages us to thoughtfully challenge the status quo.

To help us with this, our team is challenging itself in a few key ways. We’ve asked ourselves some crucial questions about how we perceive and understand our definitions of leadership, such as:

• Where are we seeing confidence exhibited by our team members? Where might confidence be covering for competence?
• What key projects and programs lack immediate clarity on the competence of their team members (for example, long-term projects or projects that are slightly outside of an area of subject matter expertise)? How can we ask constructive questions and set interim tests to try to confirm genuine competence?
• Are role advancements subjective or based on defined and demonstrable skills?
• What is the balance of leadership roles by gender, race, immigrant status (especially those for whom English is a second language) and introvert/extrovert?
• Are we assessing leaders during performance reviews using a sample of individuals who represent unique leadership styles?
• Are we providing consistent coaching and training to help individuals create flexible and unique leadership styles? Are multiple people providing this coaching so that individuals can receive coaching that is best suited to them?

When push comes to shove, if our challenges don’t hold up then we’ve validated the direction we were heading. If, however, the challenges do hold up, then we’ve uncovered an area we can improve. It’s a win-win. And it involves everyone, from our newest Junior Developer through to our CEO.

“Forward-thinking leadership is the first key to shaping an inclusive culture. Even on flat technical teams, managerial attitudes matter a lot — especially on issues that might be “invisible” to the majority of the team,” noted Donna Choi, product designer at Stack Overflow, in her recent article about support for alternate work styles at her organization.

Step 5: Foster Leadership Everywhere

Establishing a more open culture around the idea of leaders has trickle-down effects, too. When you allow for the idea of a variety of personality and work types to be successful, you foster an environment where people are more likely to succeed at every level.

Achieving an open culture like this requires an active approach, according to Jason. “Encourage others who have non-traditional styles of leadership to take leadership roles and reassure them that you would be excited to work with them. This can really help get over the self-bias that people sometimes have around whether they are ready to be a leader.”

As we start to roll-out our new leadership model, we’re gearing ourselves to look at the results differently too. Instead of being about getting to the next rung on the ladder, our aim is to have demonstrable personal growth. Because when it comes down to it, whether you’re running a department or in an entry-level position, being a leader isn’t about a title. “Integrity, honesty — these are leadership qualities that aren’t exclusive to senior staff,” notes Jason. “Leadership is a mindset, not a role.”

We know we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. By establishing a new framework (using the values cited earlier and a modified version of a Zengerassessment model) and actively promoting a new way of thinking about what leadership means, however, we know we’re on the right track. “This isn’t a magic bullet,” says Jason, “But if we build a level of self-awareness around self-motivation and identifying areas to focus on that play to an individual’s strengths, it’s a good start.”

Written by: Leigh Bryant, using content from an interview with Myplanet CEO Jason Cottrell

Want to help us usher in a new era of leader? Join our team! Apply now.